KPDNHEP serious in handling consumer complaints: Saifuddin

KUALA LUMPUR: Aggressive checks on business premises and prompt opening of investigation papers, show that the enforcement division of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry is serious in dealing with consumer complaints.

Its minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said since last year to date, 550,000 premises have been inspected with 11,281 investigation papers opened for various offences involving seizures estimated at RM49.04 million.

“Throughout 2018 we received 16,086 complaints while in the first quarter of this year 5,755 complaints were received.

“The important thing is we managed to resolve 85.3% of the complaints and some of them were referred to the tribunal for consumers,“ he told a press conference in conjunction with Pakatan Harapan’s one year anniversary.

He said the complaints were mainly on price of goods, online fraud, and misleading services.

Apart from that he said under the PH government, the ministry also managed to mobilise the National Cost of Living Action Council (MTSHN) to coordinate, discuss and deal with issues on rising cost of living.

“Among policies introduced by MTSHN were the My100 unlimited passes for LRT, MRT and monorail services and the expansion of the food bank programme to public universities to assist students in need of food aid.

“In addition to the Supply Chain Survey to track and study causes of rising cost of living, the National Action Committee on e-Commerce was also established to help consumers reduce the cost of living by promoting e-commerce business in Malaysia,“ he said.

He added that with the strategic cooperation of 10 retail and cooperative companies, 332 Consumer Economics Stores (i-Keep) are operating nationwide where daily necessities such as sugar, cooking oil, wheat flour and rice are sold at 2% to 20% cheaper than the market price. — Bernama